Dozens of inmates at Omaha jail test positive for virus

Dozens of inmates at the Douglas County Jail have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said. A news release from the county said 36 of 41 inmates in a single housing unit at the jail recently tested positive for the virus. The Douglas County Department of Corrections tested the inmates after learning last week that a contractor and two trustees at the jail had tested positive.

Most of the inmates are not showing symptoms of illness, department director Mike Myers said. Inmates with medical conditions or who require medication were transferred to the COVID-19 quarantine unit, Myers said.

Others will remain in their housing unit, and no new individuals will be housed in this unit until it has been medically cleared, he said. Word of the jail infections came as Nebraska health officials reported another 281 confirmed cases in the state and one addition COVID-19 death on Monday.